these photos of fathers/grandfathers/uncles/husbands/sons (future fathers) and their families are courteousy mike disfarmer. he was a talented photographer who worked as the town portrait taker for huber arkansas. in the 1930’s and 40’s. he was also quite the recluse/hermit strange fellow and claimed to be have been tossed up on the doorstep of the meyer family as a baby by a tornado. he never knew his real mother and father. later he distanced himself from the Meyers (which translates to Farmer in german) by changing his last name to Dis-farmer. no one in the town really knew them. yet his photos show that he was able to capture powerfully revealing images of those in the town.

i love the expressions of the people in the portraits. theyre completely genuine. as are the poses. the subjects look into the camera without pretense, reservation, doubt, or vanity. he/she is not conscious of what you will think when you behold the final print. we the viewer can see their eyes and personalities clearly. the photos create the unique affect in which it appears the subjects are looking at us with crystalline/laserlike precision. do you get that feeling as well when you see them?

these pics are wholly unlike the photos everyones taking today and splashing about for popular/audience consumption. i think thats why disfarmers work has risen to popularity in our modern arena of overt self promotion. as a testiment to disfarmer’s current favor his prints of these once private family photos are now selling for $800 dollars a pop. if you would like to spring for one visit…

i feel like im the last person to have found the disfarmer bandwagon/greyhound bus and jumped on it, but i dont mind. ill squeeze into that last avail. seat thats in the back corner next to the smelly bathroom and behind the luggage rack with no window and proudly claim it as my own. i love his work. a seat near the front should be opening up soon…. thats how trends work.

disfarmers back story is also incredibly interesting. theres a documentary about the puppet show that was produced about him (its called Puppet and avail. on netflix. i recommend it highly). thats what led me to his photos.

alrighty kids and fathers and sons and daughters and wives and mothers and grandparents and uncles aunts siblings halfs and steps..and family pets.